Kjell Andreassen is an experienced entrepreneur, business executive and advisor to a number of emerging and established businesses. He is uniquely specialized in guiding small and medium sized business owners toward attaining a level at which they work ON their business instead of IN their business, through development and implementation of key point business planning, and planning for growth and expansion, both domestically and internationally. He also works with companies and business owners providing business valuation services and advice on developing and implementing exit strategies and strategies to maximize business value.

Kjell, a native of Norway, has been an entrepreneur in the Phoenix Area for over 25 years and has held senior executive positions with public and private companies. He has, also, been a member of several corporate Boards of Directors. Prior to starting Acceler8 LLC and Exit Planning Advisors LLC, he was Executive Vice President and COO of MedAire, Inc., a leader in providing medical and health services to remote locations. During his tenure with MedAire, Inc., he contributed to the significant growth of the company, supervised the public offering and listing of the company, and the established operations in Europe, Asia, and Australia. Mr. Andreassen began his business and entrepreneurial career in the financial services industry, wherein he spent many years as CFO with commercial banks, savings instututions, and mortgage companies in Arizona. He helped start, build, and eventually sell First Commercial, a community bank in Central Phoenix, Arizona.

Mr. Andreassen holds a MBA from Arizona State University, a Master of Business and Marketing from Oslo Business School, and a Postgraduate Degree in Business Education. He is an Accredited Executive Associate of the Institute for Independent Business, and a Certified Exit Planner (CExP). Mr. Andreassen is an Associate Professor at Western International University, teaching international business, marketing, and entrepreneurship. He has completed the Global Leadership Certificate Program at Thunderbird School of Global Management, the Gavin School of International Business. He is also a certified instructor at Referral Institute of Arizona.

Rondi Andreassen, ASE Mentoracceler8 LLC

Rondi Andreassen is an experienced insurance professional with over 20 years of marketing and business development experience in banking and insurance. Rondi is licensed by the State of Arizona in Property and Casualty, Life and Health, serving as a trusted advisor to individuals and business owners, assessing risk tolerance and risk-management goals to recommend solutions optimally suited to the needs of her clients.

She is uniquely specialized in representing a full line of insurance and financial products and guiding individuals, families and small to medium sized business owners in selecting the appropriate insurance products and coverage for their life, work and business to protect their assets.

Rondi, a native of Tempe, Arizona, holds a BS degree from Arizona State University.

Mr. Eberenz, is a recognized expert in franchise development and operations as well as a resource for franchisors nationwide for improving performance in franchise systems.

Having a broad executive career spanning more than 40 years, he has held positions as General Manager, President, Chief Financial Officer and Chairman of the Board in franchise companies nationwide. As a keynote speaker and advocate of franchisors maintaining their principles and vision, Mr. Eberenz has addressed many groups on franchising to promote principles based upon “Perceived Value.” He is a Chairman of the Arizona Corporate Governance Institute, which assists corporations in using statutory or advisory boards to increase profits and cash flow.

Mr. Eberenz is currently President of the Arizona Franchisor Association. Other board affiliations include the Board of Directors of Beatitudes Campus of Care, Merger/Acquisition Roundtable, Arizona Business Leadership, Valley Advisory Group, and Business Advisory Services. He holds a B.S. Degree from Syracuse University School of Management.

Frank possesses a broad and varied scope of entrepreneurial experiences and creative talents. As an entrepreneur, he was the founder of CW Marketing, a $40 million direct marketing company of computer hardware and software products. An eBusiness expert and consultant, Frank taught both ground and online courses at Grand Canyon University, Maricopa County Community College District, and Western International University, in Phoenix, Arizona, where he also served as a member of the design and development committee for an eCommerce program.

As a freelance writer, Frank has authored many business books as well as having co-authored How To Succeed In Sales Using Today’s Technology, with Tom Hopkins, the internationally known sales trainer. Frank is intensely engrossed with observing business and social patterns and trends from which he prognosticates future outcomes. He has designed and facilitated courses and seminars on the future of society, technology, and business. He was appointed co-chairperson of the Phoenix Futures Forum and other vital community committees by the Mayor of Phoenix, Arizona. Frank holds a BA in Liberal Arts and General Systems Theory from Stockton State College and a MA in Education from University of Phoenix.

Julie Fletcher, ASE Mentor

President and CEO
Lanick Corporation

Improving Lives, One Business At A Time

Julie is President and CEO of Lanick Corporation, a small business consulting and coaching company specializing in new business development. Julie has facilitated employement law seminars, consulted and coached hundreds of small business owners, and assisted with launching over 4,000 new businesses in Arizona. She is recognized as a market leader in the construction licensing and surety bond industry. Julie holds a Masters Degree in Business Administration, with Human Relations Specialty, from the University of Phoenix.

John W. Heinrich, II - ASE Co-Creator, Lead Mentor, and Director of Marketing

President
The Solutions Forum

You Have Challenges. We Have Solutions

John has been engaged in entrepreneurial endeavors for nearly 40 years as Chief Executive Officer and business consultant. The Heinrich Company, a truck parts manufacturer founded by John’s father, inspired him at an early age toward entrepreneurship. During school term breaks, John was provided a company car for travel throughout California and Nevada as a sales representative. John holds a BA degree in Economics from Antioch College, which included a year’s study at the Institute for Business Studies, in Turin, Italy.

Upon receiving his MBA in Marketing and Finance from the Wharton School, John was hired by Ford Motor Company, ultimately directing long-range planning at Ford Credit, in Dearborn, Michigan. Ten years later, he purchased The Heinrich Company when his father retired. John expanded the company’s distribution network within the United States and into the international markets of Canada, Europe, and Asia. Seeking a new venue and challenges, John sold the Heinrich Company after a decade of continual market expansion and profitable growth.

He is currently President and CEO of the Solutions Forum, a business peer advisory group, and has consulted with 200 corporations. John held the position as Associate Professor for the University of Phoenix, Western International University, and Grand Canyon University, where he taught undergraduate and graduate courses in entrepreneurship, international marketing, Internet marketing, leadership, and public relations, as well as having served as a Masters thesis advisor. John is a retired Navy Reserve captain, and received several Command Excellence Awards during his active duty and reserve career of twenty-five years. He is the recipient of the 2010 Small Business Champion of the Year for Arizona awared by the National Federation of Independent Business.

Connie Kadansky, ASE Mentor

President and CEO
Exceptional Sales Performance, LLC

I Help People Get Their "Ask" in Gear

Connie Kadansky, President of Exceptional Sales Performance, LLC, an international sales consulting and performance improvement practice, is a recognized expert in identifying and eliminating sales call reluctance. She holds a Professional Certification from the Adler School of Professional Coaching and author of the book, The Sales Coach II.

Connie’s career and practice spans many varied industries -- financial services, insurance, real estate, print media, software, public broadcasting and executive search – for which she teaches practical methods for conquering the fear of prospecting and the skill of creating and capitalizing opportunities. Connie’s international achievements include participation as a Ren Coach in a prestigious scholarship program for executive coaching in Beijing, China. For Women in Parliament, in Rwanda, Connie was the facilitator and trainer in public speaking and taught sales techniques to Rwandan entrepreneurs. Several times annually, since 2004, Connie has traveled to Trinidad, West Indies, for multinational companies as Nestles, British Gas, and Digicel to conduct, “Pursuit of Profit”, a training program of sales skills, public speaking, and coaching for managers.

Charlene Kingston, ASE Mentor

President
Crow Information Design

Social Media Means Business

Charlene has provided informational solutions to businesses for 25 years. As President of Crow Information Design, she provides information solutions to businesses through social media tools, websites, ebooks, training programs, software user assistance, techical writing, and feature writing services. Her clients range from startup companies to Fortune 100 companies located througout the United States and abroad, which include IBM, Walt Disney Internet Group, The Dial Corporation, Catholic Healthcare West, Ignite Phoenix, Arizona Department of Educataions and the City of Phoenix.

An entrepreneur and lifelong learner, Joyce’s education and career have spanned a broad range on fields and industries. After leaving the Ivory Tower of academia, she worked 10 years for a large chemical manufacturer - analyzing technical, business, and financial issues for senior management. Valuable corporate business experience which afforded Joyce the opportunity to become an independent consultant specializing in business development for manufacturing companies. Six years later, she decided to follow her passion to become an independent financial advisor specializing in successful navigation of major life transitions.

With a PhD in science and many years of experience in business finance and financial analysis, Joyce’s approach to financial planning and management is rational and scientific – with a focus on protecting assets. Understanding the risks and challenges faced by business owners, Joyce is passionate about educating people in making informed decisions and avoiding the common financial pitfalls in business.

A longtime chapter Board Member of the American Association of Individual Investors, a national non-profit education organization, Joyce has taught financial literacy and wellness through various community education programs beginning in the mid 1980’s. She has also served as an expert witness in retirement plans

W. Lee Steele, ASE Mentor

PresidentStrategic Insight, LLC

Search Engine Ad Campaigns that Work!

Lee Steele is the Founder (1991) and President and CEO of Strategic Insight – a Phoenix-based marketing consulting firm specializing in Internet Marketing. Lee holds a B.S. degree in Marketing from the University of Missouri and has over 18 years of senior-level sales and marketing experience with several international consumer products companies. As the President of Strategic Insight, Lee has provided marketing counsel and advice to hundreds of clients in more than 25 different industries, from small start-ups to Fortune 500 companies including IBM, Budget Rent-A-Car, and Texaco.

Lee was the Official Marketing Consultant to the Arizona Technology Incubator. He has conducted multiple marketing workshops for the United Nations. Lee is a nationally renowned guest speaker, lecturer and writer. You will find many of his marketing-related articles published in various business magazines and on the Internet.

Nathaniel H. Wadsworth, ASE Mentor

Associate Attorney

Rowley Chapman Barney & Buntrock, Ltd

Mr. Wadsworth is an asssociate attorney at the law firm Rowley Chapman Barney & Buntrock, a ful-service law firm in Mesa, Arizona. His practice consists primarily of commercial litigation and business law. He has expeience repressenting individual and business clients on issues such as non-complete agreements, commercial property transactions, unfair competition and breach of contract disputes. He is a 2006 graduate of the J Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University.

Shauna A. Wekherlien, ASE Mentor

President and CEO
SWC Business Enterprises, PC

Looking forward, as always, to growing your business

Shauna Wekherlien, CPA, is President of SWC Business Enterprises, PC, established in 2004, in Scottsdale, Arizona. She holds a Masters Degree in Taxation from Arizona State University, ranked third in the USA for its tax program. She has had many articles published in statewide periodicals, and has appeared as a guest tax expert on "Tax Talk", a televised program of a local ABC affiliate. Shauna is highly active in the Scottsdale Community Chamber, and a board member of Arizona Sales Pros, a training organization for international sales professions. Shauna formerly taught accounting at Arizona State University.

Don Gray, ASE Mentor

Founder & President
Sales Engineering Group

Don Gray is the founder and President of Sales Engineering Group, a sales performance consultancy focused on improving sales performance and revenues with B2B companies. Don’s early sales career was in the software industry focused on selling a variety of solutions and services. As his career developed, he held leadership positions in Sales Management, International Management, Product marketing. He later moved into the sales performance development arena working both in the corporate world and for sales performance consulting organizations. He formed Sales Engineering Group in 2001 with a focus on helping his clients drive predictable sales results.

Sales Engineering Group helps people in organizations improve sales volume and predictability by applying engineering principles to sales process, value communication, and value reinforcement. Don has developed capabilities in sales process, sales forecast accuracy, sales skills education development and deployment, and facilitation skills. His unique sales process model is focused on the customer’s buying process so as to align sales activities to advance the buying process. He is certified in a variety of selling methodologies and has facilitated sales development workshops for companies large and small in countries around the world. Don contributed to the book The Paradox of Excellence – How Great Performance Can Kill Your Business by David Mosby and Michael Weissman. Through his broad experience he has shown his clients how to apply clarified structure, accountability, and creativity to improve customer acquisition and retention and to reduce churn to advance revenue growth.